| No more plastic bags! |
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| Written by Andrew McCloy, 2008 | |
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Page 2 of 2 Spreading the wordModbury's sustainable stand attracted not just the attention of national newspapers and TV stations, but a number of foreign reporters and film crews descended on the 1,500-strong community - everyone from USA Today to Al-Jazeera.More importantly, other communities concerned at their own environmental impact have followed in Modbury's footsteps and have begun looking at alternatives to plastic bags. One of the latest is Henfield, in West Sussex, where up to 40 shops made the switch, saving a staggering 10,000 plastic bags a week. With the support of the local council and a supermarket chain, traders and community leaders have given every household a reusable cotton bag. Spokesman Tony Jackson said: "We wanted to show that people in Henfield also cared about the environment. Ridding the country of plastic bags is an issue where local action can really make a difference. Traders and residents alike have got behind the campaign and we are confident of its success." The growing resistance to throwaway materials is also at the heart of the NFWI's campaign to curb unnecessary and excessive packaging by supermarkets. Indeed, the WI's very own jute shopping bag has proved very popular and, like the growing number of others appearing at the supermarket checkout, it's sending a strong environmental message to both retailers and other consumers. What began as a local, grass roots movement is now causing ripples not just regionally, but also on the national scene. Recently Cornwall County Council's libraries replaced its stock of plastic bags with environmentally friendly hessian bags; Marks and Spencer has started charging shoppers 5p for a standard carrier bag in an effort to help customers reuse and recycle; while the Daily Mail's Banish the Bag campaign urged readers to switch to more sustainable options. And, just to prove that he was also taking note, in the 2008 Budget Chancellor Alistair Darling announced that he would impose charges on major retailers if they didn't voluntarily curb the amount of single-use plastic bags they give out. What all started as one woman's personal crusade in a small town in south Devon has come a long way. "For Modbury, the bag campaign has made us start to question how and where products are made, how they are transported and where they go when we're finished with them," says Rebecca Hosking. "It's made us look at all consumer goods in a different light. It's a start but there is a lot more we all have to do." Modbury's top tips for turning your community plastic bag-free:
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